Of Beren and Luthien: Play Style
by Benjamin .M. White
Summary: I've rewritten the tale of Beren and Luthien into a play!
1. Scenes 1 through 5

Beren and Luthien Scenes 1-5

**Author's Note: Recently in my town, _The Hobbit_ was performed as a youth play and was a big sucess. So, taking one of Tolkien's best stories, I'm turning it into a play! Once it is big enough to show the potential of it, I'm going to send it into to theater and see if it could become a real play. Wish me luck! But keep in mind when you read it, it's meant to be performed by kids.**

**Another Note: I plan to suggest a style of resuing actors, just changing costumes, and play all the regular knights, orcs, werewolves, ect. So if you see (a.k.a. Soldier #1), that is one of 10 soldiers used for whatever unnamed troop.**

Scene 1

_Gandalf enters, slowly._

_A young Frodo dashes in._

Frodo: It's Gandalf! Come on Uncle Bilbo, Gandalf's here!

_Bilbo comes along slower._

Bilbo: Slow down lad, I'm not that young anymore!

Gandalf: Hello Frodo. Hello Bilbo. I'm glad to see everything is going happily. Frodo, where are your parents?

Frodo: Out fishing. They'll be back early tonight.

_They all take a seat._

Frodo: Can you tell me a story? Please?

Gandalf: Which one?

Frodo: Ummmm.... How about the one about Beren and Luthien?

Gandalf: You mean _The Lay of Leithian_? That's a very long story Frodo; the only longer one is _The Children of Hurin._ Something like that can't be finished before tonight.

Frodo: Can you just tell me the short version?

Bilbo: Yes, Gandalf. I loved that story back when I was a young hobbit.

Gandalf: Okay, but just the short version. So, it all began...

_Darkens, Frodo and Bilbo leave._

Scene 2:

Gandalf: Long ago, thousands of years, there was the Dark Lord: Morgoth. He hated all things good, and tried to ruin the vast, wonderful land of Beleriand. There, there were many kingdoms of Men, Elves, and Dwarves. But from his dark fortress of Angband in the north, he fought a brutal war against them all.

_Throughout this, Morgoth stands still and intimidating._

Gandalf: There was a kingdom of Men called Dorthonion. The land was overrun by vicious Orcs, and all its cities burned. Soon, all that was left were twelve valiant knights. They were led by King Barahir _(a.k.a. Soldier #1)_, and his son, Prince Beren.

_Morgoth leaves, but Beren, Barahir and co.(a.k.a. Soldiers) come with swords, striking a heroic pose, Barahir at front, Beren at his right side._

Gandalf: For a year the twelve Outlaws struck the orcs wherever they could, always retreating to the forest and could never be caught, until one day...

Scene 3

_Gorlim (a.k.a. Soldier #1) with bow creeps across. Midway across, Sauron and werewolves(a.k.a. soldiers 2-6) jump out from all sides._

Sauron: So finally I have one of you. I am Sauron, the right-hand man to Morgoth. Tell me - where is your king?!

Gorlim: I'll never betray King Barahir!

_Sauron pauses for a moment._

Sauron: I have Eilinel, you wife, locked in the pits of Angband. I can free her, and you will be brought togother.

Gorlim: (mutters) ...south shore of Lake Naugrim...

Sauron: I will keep my promise. She is dead.

_Sauron kills Gorlim, werewolves pounce on him._

Sauron: Now you are together.

Scene 4

Beren: Father! There's a huge troop of werewolves, I found their footprints! Father?

_Light shines on the knights all laying dead on the ground._

Beren: I will find the orcs that did this to you and avenge your death, and all the deaths of the men of Dorthonion! But where is... the ring! That ring was given to us by the King of Elves, Finrod Felagund! It was stolen! That ring proves that we are friends of the elves! I need it, that was given to my great-great-great grandfather, Beor! He was the first Man to ever come to Beleriand! I will find those orcs!

Scene 5

_Beren crouches behind a rock, eavesdropping on two orcs trying to light a fire. The other 8 orcs (soldiers) are off to the left, doing whatever, like poking each other._

Orc #1 (a.k.a. Soldier #1): Put up a good fight, that King Barahir did! He knocked the sword out of my hand and nearly stuck my through! But he couldn't get ME! I yanked him down, and he fell on his own sword!

_Throughout this, the orc makes exaggerated movements of the fight._

Orc #2 (a.k.a. Soldier #2): No you didn't! How could he fall on his own sword when he's about to stab you!?

Orc #1: Are you calln' me a liar!?

Orc #2: Yes I am!

_Both draw swords and begin to snarl at each other._

_Suddenly, Orc #1 stops and sneers._

Orc #1: Well, I've got something to prove it! I took this ring from his body!

_Orc pulls out the ring._

Beren: *gasp* The Ring! For Dorthonion!

_Beren leaps onto the terrified orcs, slaying them both._

Orc #3 (a.k.a. Soldier #3): Ahhh!!! We're under attack!

_Orcs (soldiers) charge in unorganized, Beren dodges imaginary arrows and escapes._

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Scenes 6 through 10

Scene 6

Gandalf: For several more years, Beren never left Dorthonion. He was a legend, and slew countless orcs. Morgoth had a price on his head as big as the king of elves, Frinrod Felagund. Bu when there was a rumor Beren was coming, orcs fled, despite the prize.

_During those lines, Beren silently trails and occasionally kills a band of 5 orcs (a.k.a. Soldiers 1-5)._

Gandalf: Eventually, Morgoth deployed so many orcs that he had no choice but to leave. Yet, the only way through was Ered Gorgoroth... The Mountains of Terror.

_During lines, orcs double in number and the hunting reverses._

Gandalf: How did he pass? None but Beren know. He never spoke of it, lest he awaken terrible memories...

_Beren crawls through and around a series of large rocks, looking terrified or withering in pain._

Gandalf: But he made it, nonetheless. He wandered into the forests of Doriath, and heard beautiful singing...

Scene 7:

_Beren watches Luthien dance silently from behind a tree._

Beren (whisper): Who is she? Even though she looks like an elf, I can tell she is more. She is beautiful...

_Beren comes out from behind the tree, noticed by Luthien._

Luthien: I know you are a man of greatness. But I am sorry, but we cannot be together, for you are mortal and I am not. I must go.

_Luthien slides away from the stage._

Beren: Wait! Don't go! I love you!

_Beren collapses as Luthien leaves._

Gandalf: But despite his mortality and initial thoughts, Luthien came to him nonetheless.

_Luthien returns._

Gandalf: For a month, they lived happily together. But Beren's chain of mortality was brought to Luthien from their love. Like Beren perceived, she was more than an elf. She was the princess of Doriath. Her father was King Thingol, a powerful elf, and mother Melian the Maia, an angel of sorts. I suppose you could consider her half angel. But one day, Daeron, a minstel of Luthien's father , caught them...

_Beren and Luthien dance, but an Elf Knight (Soldier #2) spies on them._

Scene 8:

_Luthien kneels before Thingol and Melian's thrones._

Luthien: Father, please, promise me you will not kill him or imprison him!

Thingol: Luthien, you are my most valuable possession, more great than any elf king or prince. I do not want you throwing your life away to some mortal. I know little, but I want you to stop meeting him.

Luthien: Please, just hear him through!

Melian: Thingol, please, give Luthien a chance. She cares greatly for this man.

Thingol: ... Alright. Guards! Bring him in!

_Two Elven Knights (soldiers # 3 and 4) walk in, guarding Beren. Beren kneels before King Thingol and Queen Melian beside Luthien. Elven Knights leave._

Thingol: One of servants caught you in the woods, alone with my daughter. Why were you there?

Beren: I met her about a month ago. My name is Beren son of Barahir, last survivor of the kingdom of Dorthonion. You may of heard of me.

Thingol: Yes I have. But no matter how many orcs you may have slain, **why were you with my daughter?**

Beren: I... wish to marry her.

Thingol: **WHAT! **Guards, take him away!

Melian: Thingol, your oath!

_Thingol glares angrily at Beren for a moment._

Thingol: I will keep my word. You may go. But you can only marry her if... you retrieve a Silmaril form Morgoth's crown.

Melian: You must be joking! There's no way that's possible.

Thingol: Only that will convince me.

_Beren rises from kneeling._

Beren: I shall do it. When I return, a Silmaril will be in my hand.

Scene 9:

Gandalf: The Silmarils! The greatest treasure in all of Ea! Those three gems are more powerful than even the One Ring! Long ago, an elven hero... well, he wasn't quite a hero, maybe infamous is the right word... named Feanor, Spirit of Fire, crafted the Silmarils. They contained the light of the Two Trees, greater than the Sun and Moon! But the Two Trees were destoryed by Morgoth, and their remains became the Sun and Moon. Now that they are gone, only the Silmarils have their magnificent light within them. The Silmarils were stolen by Morgoth, which brought Feanor to terrible rage.

He came from Aman, land where the great spirts, the Valar dwelt, and the home of the highest elves, to Middle Earth hunting the Dark Lord. He and his seven sons swore a terrible magic oath, that whoever possessed a Silmaril other than the House of Feanor would be hunted by them until it was theirs... or they died. Feanor was slain laying siege to Angband, Morgoth's greatest fortress, but his seven sons carry on his legacy of fire and the Oath.

For the past few hundred years, the Oath had lay quiet. But Thingol, desiring a Silmaril, had awakened it. He did not realize what he now caused.

Now, the Silmarils sit on top of Morgoth's iron crown, his most prized possession. To take one was to battle to the pits of Angband itself and steal away his greatest treasure from his very head! Yet, Beren took the challenge. No one had yet escaped alive from Angband...

Scene 10:

_Beren enters on the right. Elven archers (Soldiers #6-10) hide behind trees and rocks._

Beren: This is the realm of King Finrod Felagund, High King of Elves. The ring I have proves my friendship to him. Supposedly, he lives in a secret city, called Nargothrond. None but its residents know where it is. I can't see them, but his soldiers are probably watching me now.

_Beren holds up Finrod's ring._

Beren: Soldiers of Nargothrond, I am friend of King Finrod Felagund. I wish to meet with him.

_Elves slowly emerge from their hiding spots._

Elven Archer #1 (a.k.a. Soldier #6): I see you carry the ring, man of House Beor. We shall take you to Nargothrond.


End file.
